Adoption of Bar-Code Scanning, Document Imaging and Web-Based Portal Marks Transition to Electronic Healthcare Environment

ATLANTA, GA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 01/11/2006 -- As part of a major clinical excellence initiative aimed at establishing an electronic healthcare environment, Vanguard Health Systems announced that it will implement McKesson's Horizon Clinicals® suite of industry-leading IT solutions. Under a multi-year agreement, Vanguard hospitals in Phoenix, Chicago and San Antonio, will focus on using health IT to standardize and enhance the effectiveness of business office processes as well as clinical care and patient safety. In addition, Vanguard expects to use health IT to optimize the quality and performance in specific departments such as emergency rooms, laboratories, radiology units and pharmacies.

"We are committed to providing our patients with consistently high-quality services regardless of where they seek care," said Alan Cranford, Vanguard's corporate chief information officer. "By partnering with McKesson, we can take full advantage of flexible and scalable technologies to develop and share best practices, reduce variabilities, and begin our transition to an electronic environment. Our goal is to provide patients with a consistent level of service excellence."

With McKesson technology, nurses in Vanguard hospitals will be able to administer patient medications assisted by handheld devices to scan medication bar codes at the bedside -- a vital safeguard that ensures patients receive the right medications at the right time. In addition, rather than relying on paper forms and charts that are often laborious to complete and difficult to share, physicians and nurses will electronically record and review patient information at the point of care. They'll also be able to instantly share that information with colleagues across departments or facilities. To further drive safety and performance, caregivers will receive instant alerts on mobile devices if patient indicators do not meet baseline parameters, allowing providers to make timely and informed decisions to adjust therapies as needed.

In addition to point-of-care applications, physicians will enjoy "anytime, anywhere" access to clinical information, medical histories, reports, document images, lab results and pharmacy orders. In combination, these solutions help caregivers make more informed decisions that can lead to safer and more effective levels of care.

"Broad-based health systems such as Vanguard, with demographically and geographically diverse facilities have particularly complex requirements to enhance clinical care, share best practices, and reduce service variability while meeting individual hospital needs," said Sunny Sanyal, group president, McKesson Clinical Solutions. "Vanguard's selection of our healthcare solutions across a broad spectrum of markets is a strong endorsement of our ability to address both the application and service requirements of a healthcare IT initiative of considerable size and scope."

About Vanguard Health Systems

Vanguard Health Systems owns and operates 19 high-quality acute care hospitals, two ambulatory centers, five diagnostic imaging centers, and many other related healthcare services in five primary markets: Phoenix, Ariz.; Orange County, Calif.; Chicago, Ill.; San Antonio, Texas; and Massachusetts. The Vanguard strategy is to develop locally branded comprehensive healthcare delivery networks that enhance the treatment and care of the patients and communities it serves. For more information, visit www.vanguardhealth.com.

About McKesson

McKesson Corporation is a Fortune 15 healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. Over the course of its 170-year history, McKesson has grown by providing pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; healthcare information technology for hospitals, physicians, homecare, and payors; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://mpt.mckesson.com.

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Source: McKesson